With the agreements, all 40 players on Boston’s major league roster are under contract for the 2011 season.

These players, who all have less than three years of MLB service time, are essentially renewed at salaries determined by the team. Each team has a formula based largely on service time and performance. But typically most will make just little more than the minimum of $414,000.

The case of players like Bard and Buchholz, the teams gets a heck of a bargain. That's why those players who do get to free agency do their best to take advantage of it. The team has the hammer for a long time.